What to put on a data engineer resume at tech companies · 364 roles · 90 days to Oct 16, 2026
Updated
In short
Of the 364 data engineer roles at tech companies whose requirements we read in the 90 days to Oct 16, 2026, SQL is required in 280 of 364 (77%), Python in 276 of 364 (76%) and Data Modeling in 179 of 364 (49%). Name the ones you have in your latest jobs, next to what you built with them.
- Degree required, no alternative
- 62 of 346 (18%)
- Of the roles we could read for it
The skills these postings ask for most
Counts are out of the 364 roles whose requirements we could read; the 10 asked for most in each list.
| Skill | Roles asking |
|---|---|
| SQL | 280 of 364 (77%) |
| Python | 276 of 364 (76%) |
| Data Modeling | 179 of 364 (49%) |
| ETL | 129 of 364 (35%) |
| Data Warehousing | 126 of 364 (35%) |
| Data Pipelines | 120 of 364 (33%) |
| CI/CD | 113 of 364 (31%) |
| AWS | 112 of 364 (31%) |
| Airflow | 106 of 364 (29%) |
| Snowflake | 104 of 364 (29%) |
| Skill | Roles asking |
|---|---|
| AI | 42 of 364 (12%) |
| Data Quality | 42 of 364 (12%) |
| Machine Learning | 39 of 364 (11%) |
| Kafka | 38 of 364 (10%) |
| Airflow | 36 of 364 (10%) |
| Data Governance | 34 of 364 (9%) |
| dbt | 34 of 364 (9%) |
| Data Pipelines | 32 of 364 (9%) |
| Stream Processing | 29 of 364 (8%) |
| AWS | 28 of 364 (8%) |
What to put first
Lead with SQL, Python and Data Modeling
They are the required skills named most, with their counts in the table above. Put the ones you have in your skills line and in the bullets of your latest job, each next to what you did with it.
Then AI and Data Quality, if you have them
Preferred, not required: AI in 42 of 364 (12%) and Data Quality in 42 of 364 (12%). Add them where they are true; leaving one out costs less than claiming it.
Make 5+ years easy to count
Among roles that state years, 193 of 280 (69%) ask for at least 5 years. Give every job a start and end month and year, so a reader can add them up.
Education can go last
62 of 346 (18%) roles require a degree with no alternative; the rest accept experience instead, prefer one or do not mention it. Lead with your work.
Going for senior? Show Data Modeling
Data Modeling is required in 28 of 74 (38%) mid-level roles and 95 of 167 (57%) senior roles. If you have done that work, say where.
What changes by level
The data engineer career path compares each level with the next: the required skills that rise, the years asked and the median stated pay where it shows.
Bullet patterns
Replace every bracket with your own facts. Keep only numbers you can explain in an interview.
Pattern, not a real resume
Built [system] that [what it does] for [team or users], using SQL; [metric] after [time].
Pattern, not a real resume
Used Python to cut [metric] from [before] to [after] by [change you made].
Pattern, not a real resume
Applied Data Modeling to [problem], which [made it cheaper, faster or more reliable] by [amount].
Pattern, not a real resume
Led [project] with [number] people across [teams]; shipped [outcome] in [time].
Gaps to check before you send it
A required skill you use but never name
If you work with SQL and Python but your bullets only say what the product did, a reader looking for the skill will not find it. Name it where you used it.
Dates that do not add up
Most roles that state years ask for at least 5 years. Missing months, overlaps and unexplained gaps make that hard to count.
Bullets without an outcome
A bullet that names a tool but not what changed reads as a list of tasks. Add what moved and by how much, or what shipped.
Work at the next level, hidden by a title
Senior roles ask for Data Modeling and AWS more often than mid-level roles do. If you did that work, say so, whatever your title was.
More on data engineer roles
How we count: 364 roles from 322 employers in the 90 days to Oct 16, 2026, each role counted once however many boards post it. Methodology